Court Reporter

A month before former Spice Girl Mel B announced she was leaving Channel Seven for arch rival Nine, the singer's husband told a Seven executive "buddy, we're Seven people through and through", a court has heard.

Stephen Belafonte then allegedly offered to send a tweet to the singer's fans expressing her excitement about coming back to Seven's The X-Factor, despite knowing this was not going to happen.

The revelations came during the ongoing court battle over Channel Nine's poaching of Mel B as a judge for the relaunch of Australia's Got Talent.

Stephen Belafonte, with wife Mel B. Photo: Lee Besford

Seven was furious at the move, declaring that Mel B had breached her contract to be a judge on X-Factor and immediately seeking an injunction in the NSW Supreme Court to prevent the singer from working for Nine or promoting any of its programs.

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On Wednesday, Justice David Hammerschlag described the court battle as turning largely on "people wanting more money".

Later, the Seven Network's Head of Production, Brad Lyons, said that he had first learned that Mel B would not be returning to X-Factor in January this year when Mr Belafonte told him she was having custody issues that would prevent her from bringing her children to Australia.

"He said that the two fathers of her two children were not happy with them residing in Australia for a long time, and were refusing to sign consent forms so they could get visas to come to Australia," Mr Lyons said.

"He said they were involved in custody battles in LA and London and there was no way the fathers were going to sign consent forms."

"I said, 'well, we're not going drag her away from her kids ... [but] we have an agreement in place and if she's going to work in Australia she has to work for Seven."

"He said, 'yes, yes, of course, buddy, we're Seven people through and though but she has to live in LA'."

Mr Lyons said the two men had continued to talk amicably through a series of phone calls and emails about the possibility of another role for Mel B in X-Factor, and the need to keep her departure under wraps.